Slavior
by cherrybangarang
Summary: Sarah defeated Jareth's labyrinth a year ago, and suddenly something terrible happens and She's back in the underground. But is something even more horrible waiting for her there? rated R for later chappys.
1. Return of the king

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the labyrinth charries. -Sniff sniff-  
  
This is my first story, and there will be many more chapters to come, so please, R&R!  
  
Sarah sat in her classroom, staring out the window at the trees, imagining a white owl perched on one of the branches. It had been a year since she had defeated Jareth's Labyrinth, yet it seemed like an eternity. Every day she remembered his face, the look on it when she said the words. and yet that was all she regretted. Being so cruel, what else was she supposed to do after all? Let him keep Toby? Stay there forever? No.  
  
" Hello! Earth to Sarah!" her friend Lauren interrupting her thoughts. "I've been talking to you for five minutes. did you hear a word I said?" Lauren laughed when Sarah shook her head no. "I'm having a party Friday night. you wanna come? No 'rents, loud music, booze. or Dr. Pepper. you owe you soul to Dr. Pepper."  
  
"Shut up!" Sarah laughed when her friend bought up the theory she had made while uber hyper on M&M's and D.P. "Yeah, I think I'll come if I can get outta the house. I might have to go monkey though." The two friends laughed at their old term for sneaking out the window and climbing down the old rope ladders they had made in elementary school. "Alright. See you tomorrow Sarah" "Later!"  
  
Sarah was sitting on the old bench in the park, watching the people go by, when T.J. Lauren's older brother sat next to her. "Hey Sarah" he said. Sarah turned and scooted away slightly. T.J. gave her the creeps. He was too old to be leering at sixteen year olds, in her opinion. He was always staring at her and her friends. Sarah cleared her throat and replied.  
  
"Hi TJ. What do you want?"  
  
"What a lovely way to greet a friend." TJ said sarcastically  
  
"Well last time I checked, you were a friends brother, not a friend, and your sole purpose is to hang around when you have better things to do and be creepy. So, what do you want?"  
  
"I just wanted to know if your gonna be at the party Friday."  
  
" Well I don't know why it matters to you, but I guess so."  
  
"Well I guess I'll see you there. You know, I'll just be there, hanging around and being creepy."  
  
"Go away TJ."  
  
"Bye to you too" TJ replied as he got up and walked away. Sarah shuddered, glad he was gone. Since he had spoiled the mood she was in, she decided to head home.  
  
Toby was screaming in his room, and Karen was running around making a quick dinner.  
  
"Sarah honey!" she called and Sarah cringed.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Your dad and I are going out to dinner, and we won't be back until late, so could you be an angel for us and watch your brother?"  
  
"Sure Karen." She called, rolling her eyes. "Not like I have much of a choice." she muttered as she ran up the stairs, threw her backpack on the floor and flopped on her bed.  
  
She sighed and got up to figure out what she was going to wear Friday. Nothing too nice in case she has to sneak out. She picked out a black shirt with fishnet sleeves and a picture of JTHM , and a dark purple skirt with black and white striped tights and her combat boots. Karen hated her newly developed style over the past year, but frankly, she didn't give a shit.  
  
She hung the clothes on the back of her closet door and set the boots by her vanity. She looked up into her mirror and had a sudden urge out of nowhere to talk to her friends. It had been a while anyway. "Hoggle, I need you." She whispered, closing her eyes, and turning around, flinging her arms joyfully around her friend when she heard him say  
  
"We's been missin yous Sarah."  
  
"Oh Hoggle, I've missed you too! How's Ludo? And Sir Dydimus?" She asked her friend, sitting on the bed beside him.  
  
"Ludo be missin you greatly Sarah, and sir dydimus does everything in your honor." Sarah laughed when she heard of Dydimus.  
  
"Always the honorable knight... And. how is Jareth?" Sarah asked quietly, looking at her friend's shocked face.  
  
"Ye be askin' of the Goblin King?" Hoggle said slowly.  
  
"Yes. How is he?"  
  
"He's not been the best I must say"  
  
"Oh! Is he sick? Is he hurt?"  
  
"Of a sort." Hoggle said quietly.  
  
"What's wrong Hoggle? What happened to him?" Sarah asked, concerned.  
  
"I best not say, lest I anger him."  
  
"Please Hoggle..." Sarah was cut off by a knock at her door, and Hoggle disappeared.  
  
"Come in!" Sarah called, slightly irritated by her conversation being cut short. Sarah's dad stuck his head in.  
  
"We're leaving honey. Be back around eleven, dinner's ready when you want it."  
  
"Thanks dad" she said before her door closed and she heard Karen start the car. Sarah wandered into Toby's room, book in hand. The book was small and red, with old, golden lettering across the front.  
  
"Hey big guy." She said, walking into his room. Toby looked up from his gargantuan toddler's Lego's and smiled, sticking his hand into his mouth. He saw the book and reached for it, making grabbing motions with his hands.  
  
"You want me to read you a story?" Toby scrambled up onto his little bed with all the grace of a toddler, and waited patiently for Sarah to sit down.  
  
"Ready?" she asked, and he nodded enthusiastically. Sarah opened the book and began to read.  
  
The gigantic stone room was dark. In the middle of it, stood a throne. From the throne a single, soft light shone. There was a man in the throne, one leg draped lazily over the side. He was twirling a crystal balanced on his fingers. The lone occupant of the room hadn't moved in hours, eaten or slept in weeks, and hadn't checked on his beloved Sarah for five minutes. He summoned her image in the crystal, watching her read from the book containing his world, his fate. Entertaining her baby brother, and committing it to memory.  
  
He couldn't stand the lack of contact anymore. He was weak, not being able to withstand her, showing emotion. He sent the crystal away, and transformed, flying away into the night. Landing on her windowsill, he took shape of the goblin king again, and he waited in her room, for her to enter his life again.  
  
Sarah looked over at her baby brother, asleep in his bed. She smiled, and pulled his blanket over him before shutting off his light and leaving his room. She opened her door, and sighed as she tossed the book onto her bed, then her eyes widened and she let out a small scream as she realized her bed wasn't empty.  
  
She saw the leather boots first, the ones he always wore, then her eyes traveled up to see a pair of skintight black leather pants, then made the conclusion they must be stuffed. Her eyes continued to travel to see a silver gray poet's shirt, open at the waist, a pale perfect chest, his emblem on his necklace, and then, his eyes. His mismatched yet perfect eyes.  
  
"Hello Sarah." He purred. 


	2. Cry from the dark

After Sarah got over her initial shock of seeing a man on her bed, a man she couldn't get out of her mind, nonetheless, she became angry.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she hissed, still conscious of her sleeping brother in the other room. Jareth looked her up and down with a lazy, amused look on his face, and spoke quietly.  
  
"I decided to drop by. Catch up." At Sarah's shocked face, he laughed.  
  
"You think I would just forget about you? The only mortal to have ever beaten my labyrinth? You underestimate me dear Sarah." With that said, he stood up with feline grace, and offered her a seat on her own bed. Sarah began to gripe about the fact that this was her house, but caught herself. She didn't want to get off on a bad.restart.  
  
"In that case. are you ok? I heard you were sick, or hurt, or.." Sarah trailed off when she saw a brief look of anger in his eyes, and then it passed to a cold mask of indifference.  
  
"And where might you have picked up this information dear Sarah?"  
  
"Ummm.. I don't suppose through the grapevine is good enough for you is it?"  
  
"No." he said sharply. "You tell me now or whoever it was will be punished even worse than originally planned." Sarah sighed and debated whether to lie, and have him know, and have to needle the truth out, or to just tell him, and keep the punishment down to the low level.  
  
"It was Hoggle. But he didn't know. Honestly, he wouldn't tell me any more after I asked."  
  
"Very well then." Jareth replied after a minute. " I know how important to you your little friends are, so I will keep it down to a reprimand." When Jareth saw the look of happiness and appreciation on Sarah's face, he almost lost his mask and smiled.  
  
"So." Sarah said quietly. "How are things in the underground?"  
  
".Out of order since you left." Jareth said, with a hint of something more underneath.  
  
"I see." Sarah said wistfully. Jareth took a deep, quiet breath, and managed to calmly ask Sarah what they had both been thinking for quite some time now.  
  
"I want you to come back with me Sarah. Only for a little while. You don't have to stay if you don't want to. You can visit your friends, Stay in the castle. as a guest of course." Jareth looked at Sarah with a silent plea. Last time he had exposed himself to her, she had broken him, like a meaningless childhood toy. He couldn't let it happen again.  
  
"I can't. I'm sorry." Sarah whispered, eyes tearing. The words hit Jareth like a punch in the face. Though he was ready for them, he couldn't make himself numb to the power of her rejection. He had placed his heart in her hand, and she had crushed it once again.  
  
"Very well then." He said shortly, and turned to leave.  
  
"Jareth, wait." It was a quiet sound. To be heard by only those who wanted to hear it. "I'm sorry I can't go with you. Not yet. It's just, I have school, and people would notice I've vanished off the face of the earth. I want to go Jareth. I truly do."  
  
"I'll be waiting Sarah. Should you need me, just call my name." The moment the words were out of Jareth's mouth, Sarah's parents pulled into the driveway.  
  
"That's my parents." She said. "You'd better go poof. or. whatever you do." Sarah watched as Jareth transformed into an owl, then, as he perched on the windowsill, getting ready to fly away, she whispered one last word after him.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Your welcome Sarah" she heard the words echo in her head as the majestic owl took off in a flurry of wings against the black night sky.  
  
Sarah wandered the halls at lunch, wanting to be alone, but not finding anywhere for solitude. She finally wandered over behind the bathrooms, hoping to find the place empty of the smokers and the whores. It wasn't. Sighing, Sarah turned down the offer for a cigarette, and walked away.  
  
She eventually sat down on an empty bench by one of the classrooms. She thought about Jareth's offer last night. She wished she could go so badly, but it just wasn't possible.  
  
Possible, but not probable, she corrected herself as TJ spotted her and made a beeline for her. Sarah growled in frustration, but stayed put. It just wasn't fair. TJ has asked her out many times before, and he just never got the hint that she wasn't interested.  
  
"Hey Sarah." TJ said happily.  
  
"Get lost TJ."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I said so, and because I'm not interested, and because you cant seem to get that through your thick skull."  
  
"Gee Sarah. Maybe you should try telling my other head. It might listen to you better."  
  
"Shut the hell up and go away."  
  
"See you tonight." Sarah simmered as he walked away. He always had a knack for pissing her off. She got up and headed to class as the lunch bell rang.  
  
Sarah looked at the clock, and put away her homework. She quietly got up and grabbed her clothes and boots, went into the bathroom and changed. She ran upstairs, into her bedroom and waited a few moments before yelling downstairs.  
  
"Dad, Karen, I'll be doing homework, please don't bother me, I have a test to study."  
  
"Sure honey." She heard before she closed the door. She went over to the window, and opened it quietly. She climbed out and tiptoed across the roof so as not to be heard. When she stopped a moment to retie one of her bootlaces, she heard Toby playing in his room. 'Oh shit' she thought as he turned to the window, and with a look of delight, spotted Sarah. She tiptoed back to her room, grabbed one of her stuffed animals, and gave it to him through the open window.  
  
"Our secret?" she asked.  
  
"Seekwet." Toby replied in his cute baby talk. Sarah went over to the edge of the roof, dropped down the rope ladder that her and Lauren had made when they used to spy on her parents in the living room, and climbed down it.  
  
When she was on the ground, she took out the long stick that she hid behind the bushes, and flung the ladder back up. She went the long way around the house so she wouldn't be spotted through the living room window, and walked down the street to Lauren's house.  
  
Sarah had been at the party for about an hour, she refrained on most of the offers for booze, but hadn't passed up any dances. Until Tj found her. She growled in her frustration and turned her back, hoping he wouldn't recognize her, and she could get lost in the crowd. No such luck.  
  
"Hey Sarah. Wanna dance."  
  
"Not particularly."  
  
"Why"  
  
"Because"  
  
"Because why"  
  
"Because"  
  
"Because why"  
  
"Shut up TJ. You sound like Toby." Sarah tried to walk away, but TJ grabbed her arm and stopped her.  
  
"Come on. Please? Just one dance?"  
  
"No." Sarah looked up and saw a couple come out of a bedroom. Brushing past TJ, she ran upstairs to try and catch it before someone else did. She ran into the room, locked the door, and sat down on the very edge of the bed. Sarah took a deep breath, and then heard a door open in the room. She spun around, and backed up when she saw TJ standing by what she thought was the closet.  
  
" What are you doing in here?" panicked, Sarah looked around. " I locked the god damn door." TJ pointed to the door behind him.  
  
"Bathroom connects to the hallway." TJ said, and then got a malicious grin on his face. " You know, the setting's nice. Locked doors, both this time, you and me, both a bit tipsy, and loud music so nobody can hear you scream."  
  
Sarah's eyes went wide with fear. She backed up and hit the wall, and then looked around to find another door, a window, anything. There was a window on the wall by the bed. She only had to dash for it, then hoped it opened. Stupid idea. She would go for it slowly instead. She began to inch along the wall, talking to TJ, hoping to keep him distracted from the fact that she was moving.  
  
"What are you talking about TJ? Do you mean to tell me that you think I would have sex with you under any circumstances? You underestimate me TJ."  
  
" I don't think." He said quietly and icily, slowly walking towards her. "I know. Under one circumstance at least. And by the way, that window doesn't open." With that said, he lunged toward her, and grabbed a fistful of her hair, dragging her back towards him.  
  
"TJ! What are you doing? You're drunk! Or Crazy! Or both! Get the hell off me!" Sarah cried frantically, trying to get away. She kicked at him, and tried to wiggle free of his grasp, but he was too strong. He played football, lifted weights, and wrestled. She didn't stand a chance.  
  
"This can be a lot better for us both if you just stop fighting Sarah." He whispered in her ear. She shivered in disgust, his breath like booze scented spider webs. He lowered his head to nibble on her earlobe, but she twisted around to face him and tried to throw a punch right in his face. He saw it coming, and still had her hair in his grasp, so he blocked it and used her hair to pull her over to the bed.  
  
"I've asked you nicely Sarah." He said with a maniacal look in his eyes.  
  
" Do it again and I'll have to use force. I don't want to spoil your pretty face." Sarah didn't register anything he said; she only wanted to get free.  
  
"Let me go!" she Began to scream, but he clamped a hand over her mouth. He swung her around and pushed her up against the wall with his body. She slapped him in the face, and he grabbed both of her hands and pinned them up to the wall. With his other hand, he began to roam her body. He covered her screams with his mouth, forcing his tongue in, and making Sarah want to gag. She could feel how excited he was over her, and it disgusted her to know that he was enjoying this. He pulled his mouth back, and went to bite Sarah's neck when she began to shake and cry.  
  
"Don't do that Sarah." He said, heat, booze and madness in his voice.  
  
"Get the fuck off me you disgusting bastard." She spat at him.  
  
"Now Sarah. I'm afraid I can't tolerate that type of language." He growled before pulling back his fist and punching her in the face. His voice took on the tone that people use when the talk to young misbehaving children.  
  
"Now we can do this nicely, or I'll have to do that again." Sarah went limp, shocked, and her eyes smarted. She could still feel pressure where he had hit her. He waited a moment, as if to hear her answer before he began to drag her back to the bed.  
  
"Good girl." He said when she followed him numbly. Sarah opened her mouth to scream again, and when he brought his hand up to cover her mouth, she sank her teeth into it.  
  
"You Bitch!" TJ yelled as he let go of her and held onto his hand with the other. When Sarah tried to run for the door, her grabbed her arm and swung her back around.  
  
"Thought you could get away? Think again you fuckin whore!" He growled before swinging his fist into her temple. Sarah's vision whirled, and before she blacked out, one word came off her lips.  
  
"Jareth!"  
  
The Goblin King sat in his throne room, Fuming. He refused to let himself check on Sarah. He had been weak and stupid to expose himself to her like that, and she had rejected him again. Stupid stupid stupid. Jareth Glared into the crystal that held an image of a black glass sky, moonless, and very little stars.  
  
He watched as the sky transformed into a lake, with untold treasured beneath the surface. Then the water changed to a forest, full of life, and then it burned, killing it all, then the image panned up, back to the sky again. Over and over, hypnotizing, and yet irritating.  
  
Jareth threw the crystal against the wall and watched it shatter, when he heard a deafening, terrifying scream. One word, and yet the voice and the desperation chilled him to the bone.  
  
"Jareth!" 


	3. Slavior

Hey, sorry for the delay school and such. I hope this chapter is ok, R&R please. ah yes, Disclaimer. first chapter.  
  
Jareth heard the scream, and the pain in her voice. He was up and moving in less than a second.  
  
He appeared in a darkened room, loud music blaring outside the walls, and two people on the bed. One of them was his beloved Sarah. She was lying unconscious, with a dark, ugly bruise spreading from her pale cheek, into her hairline. He saw TJ busily working to strip Sarah of her clothes. He had her skirt flipped up, and was trying to pull down her tights. Rage welled up in Jareth, that someone would mistreat anyone this way, much less Sarah. He controlled his anger, one blow would not suffice for this.creature. He needed to suffer. Jareth calmly strode up behind the young man, who was to busy with Sarah to notice him.  
  
"What, may I ask, are you doing?" Jareth asked quietly, acid dripping in his voice. TJ jumped, and spun around, eyes wide.  
  
"None of your Damn business bozo. Get out, you're too old for this party."  
  
"Oh really?" Jareth asked, while his hand shot out and grasped TJ's throat, holding just hard enough to cause pain, and panic.  
  
"I believe my lady Sarah is not a willing participant in this." Jareth nodded down to Sarah's limp, pale form, and tightened his hand with every word. TJ's eyes bugged out with lack of oxygen before Jareth let him go.  
  
" I didn't do nothing!" TJ exclaimed, panicking, and trying to scurry away from Jareth.  
  
"Yes, it seems I got here in time." Jareth said, picking up TJ, and throwing him against the wall. TJ's body crumpled on the floor, but Jareth wasn't done yet. He walked over, and punched TJ in the face, over, and over, until it was a bloody mess. Anger satisfied, almost, Jareth walked over and stared down at Sarah's pale, half naked form. He leaned down and brushed a kiss on her forehead, and picking her up, winked out of the room, leaving a pulverized TJ, and a rumpled bed.  
  
Jareth reappeared in his room, and, laying Sarah on his bed, he summoned a healer. Jareth stared at Sarah's face, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, trailing his fingers lightly over her bruise.  
  
"You called, your highness?" Jareth looked up when Aja walked into the room, her tan skin shining, and her uptilted almond eyes worried.  
  
"It's Sarah." Jareth said quietly. Aja knew all about Sarah and the king's love for her. She doubled as a healer, a therapist, and a friend. Aja walked over quickly, and gasped when she saw Sarah, bruised, pale, and half naked lying in Jareth's arms. Jareth looked up at her with a pained expression before his mask of indifference set in.  
  
"What happened?" She asked Jareth quietly, laying a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I don't know. She was hurt, she called my name, and when I got there, someone was trying to rape her." The pain and anger in Jareth's voice, and the state that Sarah was in made Aja want to cry. She checked her over, and after a few minutes, she told Jareth that she had gotten a blow to the head, and she should come around soon. Aja looked at Jareth, and saw his hollowed cheekbones, and shadowed eyes.  
  
"Jareth?" She implored cautiously.  
  
"Mmmm?" he gave a halfhearted grunt while staring at Sarah and holding her hand.  
  
"Get something to eat. For both of you." At his look of irritation, Aja sighed, and got up to leave. She turned at the door, and before she left, she said one word rarely said between the two.  
  
"Please?"  
  
Jareth sighed, and nodded. He watched Aja leave the room, and looked back down at Sarah. He summoned a goblin to bring some food, and settled himself beside her.  
  
:: Two hours later::  
  
Sarah's forehead scrunched in pain and she groaned. She had the mother of all headaches, and she couldn't open her eyes. She turned her head away from the light, and slowly cracked one eye open. There was a person beside her. She screamed, pushing frantically away, and falling off the other side off the bed.  
  
Jareth woke with a start at her scream, and felt her pushing against him, then he heard a thud and a low groan. He leaned slowly over the side of the bed to see Sarah huddled in a ball.  
  
"Sarah?" He said quietly, speaking as you would to a child. Sarah looked up, confused, into Jareth's face.  
  
"Where am I? I mean, what.. Am I an the underground?" Sarah looked around, and seeing that she was in a massive stone room, with a gigantic bed that had black silk sheets, and a sheer black bed curtain, black curtains on the windows too, she concluded she was in Jareth's room. Jareth looked at her with worry plainly showing on his face.  
  
"Are you alright Sarah?" he asked softly, reaching out a hand to help her up. He stood and went over to Sarah, cupping her cheek in his hand. When she winced, he flushed and took his hand away, apologizing.  
  
"It's alright. It just hurts. A lot. And I have a really bad headache." Jareth nodded, and, not knowing what to say, he cleared his throat and turned to head to the door. Before leaving, he said  
  
"There's food on the table, I'll be sending someone to help you around. You are free to go anywhere but the city, I don't want anything happening to you. I have some business to take care of." With all that said in one breath, he left Sarah staring at the door, still a bit confused.  
  
She wandered over to the bed and sat down, looking across the room at the food spread out across the table. She was extremely hungry, but the thought of food was nauseating at the moment, so she sighed and stood, walking towards the enormous sweep of balcony outside the window.  
  
Staring down at the gardens, she noticed several fountains and sculptures that interested her. Sarah walked over to the door, and opened it, getting ready to step outside, but then thought better of it, his castle was just as labyrinthine as his maze.  
  
Sarah silently willed for the goblin that would show her around while she wandered over to the table of food. She really didn't want to eat right now, but she could use some water. There was about eight different types of bread and cheese, a bunch of fruit, some familiar, some not. There was sausage, eggs, bacon, turkey, and pancakes too, and Sarah was positive that these weren't normal underground foods. She spotted the pitcher of water, and the crystal glasses and poured herself a drink.  
  
Sarah sat down and drank her water, and as if on cue, there was a knock on the door just as she set her cup down. She stood up and crossed the room, pulled open the giant heavy door, and saw a woman. Sarah couldn't tell quite what the woman was. She didn't look human, or Elvin, or anything else Sarah could think of for that matter, but she was beautiful.  
  
"Hello." The woman said cheerfully, and walked past Sarah into the room. She spun on a heel and looked Sarah in the eyes.  
  
"My name is Chaise. Jareth sent me to show you around."  
  
"Oh. ok.do you have anything I can wear?" Sarah asked, just noticing the state of her clothes.  
  
" Of course. You think Jareth would deprive a guest of clothes?" she made a tisking noise with her tongue. The woman had a very busy, rushed, but cheerful air to her. She talked very fast, and Sarah noticed that whenever she said Jareth's name, she tucked her hair behind her ears.  
  
"Jareth ordered quite a few dresses made in your size. Come along and we'll find one." Sarah followed the woman with dread. Jareth knew she hated dresses.  
  
Chaise opened the door to a huge closet that was filled with Jareth's clothes. She led Sarah to the back of the closet and opened a door into a smaller section, filled with dresses. Chaise sifted through the dresses, and picked out a dress with a hunter green bodice and a beige skirt, and black lace sleeves that hung down into points at the hands.  
  
Sarah had changed clothes and ate a little bit, then had Chaise show her to the gardens. Chaise left her to wander on her own, and told Sarah that she would know when Sarah needed her. Sarah wandered through the gardens, smelling all the different flowers, looking at the sculptures and fountains. A few of them caught her eye. They were scenes of things that happened when she was in the Labyrinth.  
  
One was of her dancing with Jareth, and she could almost her the song in the trickle of the water. Another was of her in the maze, with the helping hands. Another of her and the worm, and lastly, one of her and Jareth in the Escher room. Sarah trailed her fingers over the marble of Jareth's face, and walked her fingers down the miniature stairs.  
  
Sarah felt and saw a hand cover hers from behind her back, and when she whipped around, she saw Jareth smile.  
  
"You like it? I did it from memory."  
  
"You did that?" Sarah asked, astonished. Jareth ran his hand up her arm and into her hair.  
  
"What do you think I do all day? Sit around and look pretty?" Jareth asked Sarah, laughing.  
  
"Well I . I don't really sit around thinking about it." Sarah said, slightly embarrassed.  
  
"Yes, well I took up sculpting as a hobby. Something to do while I'm not doing kingly duties."  
  
"It's beautiful. You're very good."  
  
"Thank you. Would you like me to show you to the dining hall? You must be hungry." As Jareth led Sarah away from the gardens, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, when she looked there was nothing there. ~Must be one of those things about this place.~ Sarah thought right before they went inside. 


	4. Nightmare

Sorry for the uber long wait peoples. I also apologize if this chappy isn't any good. I have severe writers block. Blech. Oh, yes, disclaimer...first chappy.  
  
Sarah followed Jareth into the dining room. She looked around her, contemplating on the fact that everything seemed so much bigger the last time she was here. She looked straight ahead of her and saw a gigantic table, filled with every food you could think of, from the disgusting, to the most delicious thing you could ever think of, including normal stuff, like top ramen and Oreo's and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She suddenly thought of Jareth, eating PB&J and burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Jareth asked, staring at Sarah. "Nothing." Sarah gasped, calming down and trying to hide a smile. Jareth gave her a strange look and lifted and eyebrow. "Right." He said. "Well, shall we eat? I doubt there is anything missing. I wanted to be sure you had whatever you want." Sarah flushed as he touched her hand, and smiled.  
  
Hours later, Sarah stood in her bedroom, getting ready to take a bath. She wondered why Jareth had gone to such extremes to get whatever she might want to eat. She had tried several underground dishes, at Jareth's recommendation, and even tried a few new aboveground foods too. She was thoroughly stuffed, and Chaise was helping her out of her dress.  
  
"Sarah, milady, your bath is ready."  
  
"Thank you Chaise, and please. Don't call me milady. It makes me feel old."  
  
"As you wish Sarah." Shall I stay to help you bathe?"  
  
"No thank you Chaise. I can manage."  
  
"Alright mi- Sarah. Call me if you need anything."  
  
"I will." Sarah said as she watched Chaise shut the door.  
  
Sarah walked over to the warm bath, and stepped in. the water smelled like lavender, and it had several crystals, all different colors floating on the water. Sarah stared at them, puzzled, and touched one. The crystal popped, releasing heat into the water, and a strong lavender scent. She settled down into the bath, closing her eyes and breathing deep. She let the warm water and the smell of lavender relax her body and mind, and soon, she fell asleep.  
  
*She was lying on a bed, it was huge, and beautiful, at first, she thought it was Jareth's, but she looked around, and the bed was white, and she was in a different room. She got up and walked over to the balcony, throwing the curtains open, and taking a breath. There was a beautiful view of the ocean under her, and there were bushes of small, purple and black rose like flowers in pots on either edge of the balcony.  
  
"Do you like it?" Sarah spun around and saw... someone. She couldn't place the voice, and she saw the person, and knew he had features, and a face, but her mind wouldn't register them. She felt uncomfortable, and familiar with this person at the same time.  
  
"It's beautiful." Said Sarah, awestruck. "I didn't know you had an Ocean in the labyrinth."  
  
"Anything for you my dear." For some reason, Sarah was puzzled by this. Something wasn't right.  
  
"Who are you" The question seemed right. Sarah's head felt fuzzy.  
  
"Someone you know, and don't know, who you fear, and yet, don't." The person answered enigmatically. Sarah knew something wasn't right, yet she accepted the answer. She walked back into the room and curled up on the bet, and closed her eyes, feeling the soft silk against her skin.  
  
Suddenly she realized she was naked. The fuzziness in her head receded for a moment, and a pang of wariness passed through her. The fuzziness reclaimed her mind, however, and this time a sense of desire came with it. She lazily turned to the person, and got up smiling. She sauntered over and ran her hand down his chest, brushing her fingers along the waistline of his pants. She brushed her lips along his neck, giggling as he tensed. She kissed his neck lightly, then bit down, hearing him let out a low moan.  
  
"Looks like I found your hot spot." She said, tracing her fingers along his stomach, feeling his muscles tense and quiver. She laughed as he began pushing her towards the bed with his body, His desire evident, and pressing into her body. Her legs met the bed and she laid down on her back, smiling. The man's hands wandered up her body, over her stomach and her breasts, and he grabbed her arms, suddenly turning forceful. Sarah was no longer on a silk bed, but against a rough wall, the stucco plaster abrading her skin. She was being pressed into the wall by a man that was clearly drunk. Her body was quivering and in pain, and there were tears running down her face. Suddenly, all the fuzziness was gone from her mind, and she knew something was wrong, and she had to get out of here now. *  
  
Sarah sat up in the tub, screaming. The water had gone cold, and all of the little crystals were gone. She got out of the tub shivering, and wrapped a big fuzzy towel around her. The feel of the cloth comforted her, and she winced as she went to brush her hair off her face, hitting her bruise. She stepped into her room, and picked up the nightdress Chaise had laid out for her. She slipped it on, and dried her hair with the towel. After thoroughly brushing her hair, and braiding it, Sarah climbed under the covers.  
  
She sat staring at the ceiling for about an hour, and finally gave up trying to sleep. She walked over to the door and made her way to the kitchens, avoiding as many goblins as possible. She found some Oreos from dinner, and made her way back to her room. As soon as she looked up after opening her door, she screamed and dropped her Oreos.  
  
Chaise came running from the next room, asking what was wrong.  
  
"Get Jareth! NOW!" Sarah screamed, backing up into a corner, and curling up in to a ball. Chaise, wondering what would cause such a scene, peered into the room, and stifled a scream. She ran off to get Jareth and left Sarah in a ball in the corner. 


	5. Slaughterhouse

Sorry for the long wait, if any of you are still reading. I've been sick and I'm up to my eyeballs in make up work. So ill be writing a bit, but I have some severe writer's block, so it may not be that good, but none of it was, so hey. This ones prolly gonna be uber wordy, because I felt like it. Enjoy and R&R.  
  
Jareth woke to someone pounding his door, and crying frantically for him. He got up irritably and stalked over to the huge wooden door, whipping it open forcefully. He was about to yell, and rant about being woken when he saw who it was, and the look on her face.  
  
"Chaise, what's wrong?" he asked, immediately softening, and pulling her into a hug. Chaise babbled something unintelligible, and started hyperventilating. Jareth pulled her away, and shook her slightly. "Chaise, calm down, what's wrong. What happened to you?" She started babbling again, and all Jareth could hear was "Sarah.... Sarah"  
  
Jareth stopped listening when he heard Sarah's name, he took up Chaise and began walking toward Sarah's room, his face was a mask, showing no emotion, but inside he was a hurricane. He didn't even want to imagine the worst possible scenario, and the runners up weren't any less dire. Jareth finally turned the corner into the hallway that Sarah's room was in and saw her curled into the corner, crying and shaking.  
  
Jareth began to pull Chaise down the hallway, but she dug her heels in and refused to go any farther just before they reached Sarah's door.  
  
"What is wrong with you?" Jareth asked, turning to face Chaise. She was shielding her eyes, and crying, trying to turn away from the door. She looked up and pointed into the room. Jareth turned his head and looked, and then jumped back, muffling a startled "holy shit!" with his hand.  
  
Jareth walked slowly into the room, on the way grabbing a statue of a unicorn with a pointy horn. He walked cautiously, glancing side to side as he made his way to the bed. He stifled a gag reflex as he looked at the spectacle. There were bloody goblin limbs and heads piled onto the bed, spilling over onto the floor. The centerpiece of the horribly grotesque spectacle was a goblin head, scalped and skinned, the hair and skin lying on either side of it. Jareth saw the horribly distorted face and growled as his anger finally overloaded.  
  
The beheaded goblin was his most trusted subject, who had been by Jareth's side since it had been born. The rest were his close subjects, the ones that had a name in the castle, not just anonymous gobliness. He saw and recognized their faces in the dismembered mess. Jareth looked around, searching for the one who committed this monstrosity. He saw no one, so he searched in the bathroom and the wardrobe. Nothing.  
  
Still uncomfortable, Jareth went over to the traumatized Sarah and tried to comfort her, taking her crying, shaking form into his arms and rocking her, making comforting sounds like he had seen her do with Toby so many times. When she had finally calmed down, Jareth had taken her and Chaise into his room, and decided to tend to the mess himself. He didn't want to make the goblins clean up the bloody remains of their friends. Too many beings had been upset tonight.  
  
As he walked down the hall toward his room, his task finished and Sarah's room as it was before, Jareth thought for the first time throughout the whole ordeal. He had become numb while cleaning, his emotions overriding what his conscious brain could hold. ~What if they do the same to Sarah while she's sleeping? What about Chaise, and will they even be able to sleep? How do I know they're gone? What if they're hiding somewhere? How did they get in? What surprises are lying throughout the rest of the castle?~  
  
All of these questions loaded the weary king's mind as he turned and walked away from his inviting bedroom, to check the rest of the castle. He didn't want to give Sarah any more welcome home surprises. Thankfully, the rest of the castle was undisturbed, goblins, alive and awake on post, nothing out of order, which raised disturbing suspicions as to how the culprits got in.  
  
As Jareth wandered back to his room, he contemplated the safety of letting Sarah stay in her room. He decided to ask her to stay in another. The same went for Chaise as far as he was concerned. Jareth wearily pushed open the door to find Sarah and Chaise, wide eyed and staring at nothing, their bodies in a dormant state, but their minds unable to stop thinking, because if they did, they would think about what had just happened. Sarah was sitting in front of Chaise, and they were both staring into the fire. Chaise was absently toying with Sarah's hair and Sarah was playing with the bottom of her nightgown.  
  
When Jareth opened the door, they both looked in his direction with absent glassy eyes. Jareth looked at the girls worriedly. They had both been in here alone for a long time. Who knew if it was they anymore? Their glassy eyes and slow silent manner unnerved him, until Sarah burst out into tears, and then Chaise.  
  
***Sarah was sitting on the floor, shock and exhaustion all over her face. Chaise had sat down behind her and began taking her hair out of its braid. Sarah turned and looked at her questioningly.  
  
"I need something to do." Explained Chaise. Sarah nodded and went back to staring into the fire. They sat like that for a long time, Chaise braiding and rebraiding Sarah's hair, when Sarah startled the still air and spoke.  
  
"Chaise... Where is he?" She inquired softly  
  
"I don't know Sarah. Checking things around the castle I suppose."  
  
"Why did this happen, who could have done something this horrible?"  
  
"Horrible beings Sarah. With horrible hearts."  
  
"Chaise... forgive me for being bold, but, who are you? I mean, how do you know Jareth, Why did he assign you to be my... To help me around? I'm not dumb Chaise; I know he wouldn't give me just any helper around the castle, so why you?"  
  
"Well, Sarah, you question is of no boldness to me, I don't mind. I hoped we could become somewhat of friends during your stay, and I suppose you should know, considering you very well may end up getting involved with the king.... I'm his sister. We have the same mother. After our mother died, our father wanted nothing to do with me, so I was made a servant. But Jareth, he wouldn't have it, and He took care of me, he gave me my own room, and got me good food and clothes, of course when my father saw me, I had to look unhealthy and worked, and I had to be dressed in rags.  
  
"My father always was a jealous man and the fact that I was a symbol of him not being good enough in bed for my mother always made him hate me. So I was brought up as a bastard princess with servants duties, and only when my father died could I take on a normal royal life."  
  
"...........Wow." Sarah said absently after Chaise finished her story, and though for a moment. Then she turned and asked her  
  
"Chaise, if you led a normal royal life, why did Jareth appoint you to be my maid?" Chaise smiled and laughed, leaving Sarah confused. The she explained to her that she had wanted to do it, because she didn't want her brother's ladylove to have just any mediocre goblin servant.  
  
"Oh..." Sarah said and then slowly turned back around. Chaise wasn't sure if any of the conversation was absorbing into Sarah's mind, or just bouncing off the surface, but she could see that Sarah was thinking about something. After a few minutes of silence, Sarah asked Chaise  
  
"Where do you think he is? He's been out there a long time.... I wonder if something has happened to him...?"  
  
"I don't know Sarah. Perhaps something has happened to him. If we go out there, it's bound to happen to us too. Let us wait until daylight when dark forces are weaker, then we search if he still does not return."  
  
Sarah nodded absently, and they both stared into the fire, and settled themselves for a long night of waiting.  
  
A few hours later, after the fire had turned to embers, and the girls' bodies had gone dormant, their eyes becoming glassy and unblinking, they heard the door creak. They both slowly turned. This was either their end, or their loved one. As Sarah saw Jareth's weary face, she burst into stinging tears, and then Chaise followed suit. ***  
  
Hours later, the three still could not sleep, images of dismembered goblins lurking beneath busy thoughts. Every time one closed their eyes, one would see a leering dead goblin face. Jareth had settled onto the floor with Sarah in his lap, and Chaise in the chair behind them, Jareth leaning on her legs. Jareth broke the hour-long silence, by quietly addressing Sarah.  
  
"I don't believe you should go back to your old room Sarah. I should like it if you move to another... or, perhaps... stay with me? In my room?"  
  
Sarah looked up at him in a daze of exhaustion and nodded, laying her head on his chest. Jareth turned his head to look up at Chaise.  
  
"You too. I don't want you going back. You are welcome to stay in my sideroom... Please. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to either of you." Chaise nodded, and then spoke.  
  
"I'm going to try and get some sleep. Goodnight Sarah, Goodnight Jareth." With that said, she eased her legs out from under Jareth and walked over to the sideroom door.  
  
"Get some sleep you two." She said before opening the door and walking through.  
  
Jareth kissed Sarah on her forehead and scooped her up. He walked over to his bed, laying Sarah down. He lay beside her and brushed her hair off her face. Gathering her in his arms, he hugged her crushingly and settled in to wait until the morning. 


	6. Confused and concerned

Hey all its been an uber long time since I've written and im in particularly crappy overloaded mood, so if its ranty or pooey, sorry. And, muahahaha this will be an unbelievably short chappy. Disclaimer first chappy.  
  
Jareth awoke the next morning and stared down at Sarah's face, peaceful in her sleep, oblivious to the horrors yet another day may bring them. He brushed her hair off her cheek and kissed her forehead, getting up to make sure there was food ready for her when she woke up.  
  
Sarah was in a cold room, in a luxurious blue bed. She was finely dressed, and happy, but it wasn't a normal happy. It was strange. She knew something was missing, but she didn't care. She had everything she wanted, right? She felt a hand on her shoulder, Ice cold, but warm at the same time. She smiled. It was him. "It's time to go, Sarah." He whispered into her ear. He offered a hand to help her up, and took her elbow. They were walking down a beautiful hallway, but it was dark. She could see bright sunlight outside. They reached the doorway, and sunlight blinded her for a moment. She looked ahead. There was a high platform, and on it stood a guillotine. There were no visible people, but she knew there was a crowd, perhaps watching from windows of their safe homes. She smiled and waved. He led her forward. Sarah walked towards the guillotine, strangely happy and content. It wasn't right, but it was. He led her up the platform steps and bound her hands. She looked back at him, and couldn't make out his face.She knelt down and put her neck on the block, laughing with joy, and then the glint of metal, and her head rolled off the other side of the platform.   
  
Sarah woke, panting, sweat dripping off her forehead. She tried to sit up, but her head hurt too much. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Aja sitting by her bed. Preparing another cool washcloth for her neck, and Jareth pacing. Chaise was sitting in another chair by Aja, preparing cooling balms for Sarah's skin. Jareth saw she was awake first, and hurried to her side.  
  
"Sarah! Are you alright?" Sarah winced as he yelled, her head pounding harder.  
  
"I'm okay.... My head just hurts." She replied. "what happened? ... Who are you?" She asked Aja.  
  
"You have been asleep for two weeks, child. Fevering and sweating for days. We thought for certain you would die." Sarah looked at Aja and Jareth, Shocked.  
  
"It can't have been that long.... It just couldn't..." She protested weakly, but knew it was true. "Jareth, why is this happening to me? Nothing has been going right since I came here.... I keep having these... dreams..." Sarah described them to Jareth, and saw his mental gears turning, trying to make sense of them. "And what about those poor goblins...?"  
  
"I don't know Sarah." He admitted weakly. "I don't know." Jareth stood for a few moments, thinking, and finally said "Sarah, if you want to back aboveground.... I would understand..."  
  
"No!" She said fiercely, surprising him. "I wouldn't be any better off. How do you know that those dreams won't follow me back, and then I wouldn't even have you. I'm not going."  
  
"very well." He said. "we'll have to find out what is happening. More accurately, who is doing these things. It's rather obvious by now that I have some enemy, I need to find out who, and how they got in." "I need to do some things Sarah... meanwhile, I don't want you out of Aja or Chaise's sight, and try not to fall asleep." He kissed her forehead, and walked out of the room.  
  
Several hours later, Jareth sat in his study, brooding over details of Sarah's dreams, and the massacre of goblins. He knew everything fit together, but he didn't know how or where. He thought about all of his enemies that weren't locked in oubliettes, and the ones that were, but nothing seemed to match, So, fruitless, he went to join Sarah for dinner. 


	7. Enemy

Hey all, I'm sorry I took so long for that last one, but I'm afraid that will be happening quite a bit. The last chapter was really unproductive and it was just to kinda say, hey I'm still writing, so yesh, this chapter will be unbelievably short, muaahahahaha!! Ahem anyway. here goes. Disclaimer first chappy  
  
There was a room, and in that room, a man sat, eyes closed, with a sinister smile on his face. He watched as Sarah tossed and turned, swallowed by yet another dream. He watched the effects his works had on her. He examined the Egyptian beauty at the side of Sarah's bed, and the small pale form of Chaise. He chuckled as he saw Jareth pacing, helpless, useless the man thought, laughing. The viewing went on for an unnoticed amount of time, minutes, hours, days, weeks, until finally, The man grew bored and waved off Sarah's dream. He opened his eyes, and looked around, at the stone walls, and the dark forms of the dead around the walls. He sighed, content, and lay down to sleep.  
  
Jareth had appointed Aja and Chaise at permanent posts beside Sarah until he figured out what was going on. Every time Sarah fell asleep, she was stricken with nightmares she couldn't wake from. The time periods began to increase too, they went from a few minutes to hours, to days and sometimes even weeks, as Jareth grew helpless. Jareth now Paced by Sarah's bed, wishing there were some way to comfort her, racking his brains to find the culprit, how they were getting to Sarah, how they got in to kill the goblins, but to no avail. Jareth finally fell, exhausted onto Sarah's bed, and brushed the sweat off her forehead. He pulled her into his arms, and began stroking her cheek, as he finally let a tear slip from his eyes.  
  
The man checked in on Sarah again, and saw her curled in Jareth's arms. awww... how disgusting the man thought, as he watched the two. well Jareth, it seems you have given up hope. Perfect. We will meet soon 


	8. Welcome back

Jareth woke with Sarah in his arms, sleeping peacefully for once. He smiled, and closed his eyes to go back to sleep. He didn't want to ruin Sarah's sleep by moving. All of a sudden, one of the remaining goblins came into the room, tiptoeing as quietly as a goblin could manage.

"King Jareth…" the goblin whispered. "King Jareth…" The goblin waited now, afraid to wake the king, but not wanting Jareth to be angry with him for not telling him what he was sent up here to tell. Finally the goblin battled out his inner war and poked Jareth in the shoulder… and again… and again, not realizing the king was simply ignoring him. Finally, the King rolled lazily over and inquired as to what the pipsqueak creature wanted.

"Someone to see you in the hall." The creature replied, shaking. Jareth growled, but got up carefully so as not to disturb Sarah, and walked out of the chamber, apparently, fae don't get bedhead or tousled clothes because he appeared in the great hall looking perfect. There was a man standing by the door, waiting. He looked up and saw the goblin king, and straightened.

" Jareth!" The man said cheerfully. "I don't suppose you remember me…" This was followed by a laugh at Jareth's calculating and somewhat blank look. "Of course you wouldn't… you were very, very young when you last saw me, but still, it's saddening that you don't remember your own brother." At this, Jareth started visibly. How could this man be his brother? He never was told he had a brother, he never met him…. But apparently he had when he was too young to remember… and this man was the complete opposite of him, Dark, short, tamed hair where Jareth's was light, long and wild. Olive skin where Jareth was fair, large and bodybuilderish where Jareth was lean, with hidden strength in his smaller looking muscles. This man could not, by any stretch of the imagination be Jareth's brother.

Jareth eyed the man suspiciously, and when the man came towards him to give him a giant bear hug, Jareth had flew back and put up a defensive wall of magic. The man looked slightly confused and hurt, and in that look, he could see slight resemblances… one very distinct one… the man's eyes were ice blue… and aquamarine just like Jareth's. Jareth's wall suddenly dropped, and he took a step toward the man. When the man smiled wider, and put Jareth into a bear hug, Jareth stood stiff, but then he relaxed and hugged the man back. Jareth felt awkward… he was sure this man was his brother… he could feel it, his labyrinth could feel it, it's magic humming at the arrival of another of his blood, but he didn't even know this man's name.

"Well, it's wonderful, seeing another of the blood." Jareth said after a slight pause. "I hate to break this happy moment, but why, exactly are you here, after all these years… and… well… this is kind of strange to ask your own brother, but… what is your name?"

The man laughed, but it became tired as his reasons for being here came back to him. He looked at Jareth wearily and replied. "There is terrible danger in the land of the underground. News has gotten around that your mortal is back, and some…. Don't like the fact that you have fallen in love with… well… I don't think this way meself but this is what the others say… they think your affections are wasted on a mere mortal, and there are others much more worthy, that actually belong here… but it's not just the general dislike that I'm concerned about… things have been happenin… strange things Jareth… things that'll make yer skin crawl… I saw something just on my way here… many somethins on my journey… Somethin terrible is happenin to this land and the people Jareth… somethin's killin them all, and ain't none of it pretty neither."

This said, the man slumped into a chair, spent. "A room, and food for our guest." Jareth ordered the creature standing next to them. "Oh… and by the way…" the man said "Me name's Adaricus."

SOOOOOOOOO sorry guys. Me muse has taken a paid leave, but I try me best. Don't give up on me! I'm still writing! Luv all yous! Disclaimer first chappy.

Adaricus. The name brought back a rush of feelings. Not necessarily memories, but close. It brought back love, the kind for family. It brought anger and laughter and jealousy, and finally pain, all these emotions were normal to Jareth, but these…. These had an undertone. Something different. He stared at the man, contemplating these feelings, and the recent happenings in the kingdom.

"What do you know of these killings?" He asked the man. "And what do you know of this dislike of Sarah?"

"Not much, brother. I know the killin's be of a very gruesome nature. Victims always near unrecognizable. And this dislike of Sarah…. It be mostly in the royal families, expectable of course, and some titterin' among their subjects, but it's awful fierce titterin' to the degree that would put a man uneasy. I'm worried Jareth, I may not know you much anymore, but you still be me brother, and Sarah still be your lady."

"Thank you very, very much for your concern Adaricus. I'm sure you are tired from your journey. Please, rest, and stay in my castle with me a while. I have another person you should meet…. Her name is Chaise…."


	9. Death of a counterfeit ragdoll

-1Hey all, remember me? Woot! Okay, for those of you who were faithful, or just too lazy to clean out your alerts and your favorites, here's a new chapter! Oh my gasp! Disclaimer first chapter.

The king tossed and turned, oblivious in his fitful sleep to the small pitiful form of his love lying next to him. From the recesses of his dream world came a keening whine that he could not expel from his head, and whispering voices full of sorrow, loss, regret, anger. One voice in particular stood out to him though, low and feminine, the voice of his love, Sarah.

"Release me Jareth. I have been held captive here long enough. I will no longer play the weak woman so you can feel important. I refuse to be played with, and tossed aside to sleep eternally like a torn rag-doll. Take me back aboveground, leave me be. I never want to see your face again. You have no power over me."

Jareth started out of his dream, not realizing at first why his heart was so full of sorrow and betrayal. He stared down at Sarah's face, which was quite pale… almost… blue…. He smacked himself mentally and panicked when he realized she had stopped breathing.

The figure amidst the rotting bodies laughed in evil ecstasy as he watched Jareth slowly squeezing the life out of Sarah in his dream. Amazing how easy it is to control someone while they sleep. He had sent him feelings of pain, loss, anger, sorrow, and channeled them through the most intense filter he could find…. Sarah's voice. When a being is in such a state of despair, they lose all defenses, leaving their bodies open to be played with at any person's whim. He let go of Jareth's will, and watched him wake. Watched as he gazed at his lover with pain, rejection, and then, panic.

Adaricus ran down the hallway towards his brother's agonized cries, joined by Aja and Chaise before the door. They all shoved the door open at the same time, and rushed in to find Jareth crouched on the floor, holding Sarah in his arms.

"Not breathing!… Not breathing!…" He cried through gritted teeth. Aja ran over to Sarah's lifeless form, and studied her blue face, her purple lips, and saw the bruises round her neck.

"Who did this to her!" she asked.

Jareth shook his head, helpless.

"I was with her the whole time! How! How…how….how…."

he began sobbing, rocking back and forth with her head in his lap.

Chaise and Adaricus both came over, and knelt by Sarah.

"well all this sobbing and questions ain't gonna make her no better, now is it?" Adaricus said, pumping her chest, and breathing into her mouth.

"It won't work." Aja said quietly. "She is too far gone. The only way she can be brought back is if the person who did this poured their heart and soul into her, and sparked hers back to life. I'm sorry Jareth."

"No!" He cried. "I won't leave her! She wouldn't do this! She is not my rag doll! She called me, asked me… loved… please… I…. Help…free…captive…" His cried turned near incomprehensible between sobs. Aja tried to hold him, but he shrugged her off forcefully, picked up Sarah, and ran out the door.

He arrived at the abandoned throne room looking around for his goblins… there was no one. He lay Sarah down in the circle in the floor, arranging the pillows and blankets around her. He then walked to the windowsill, Stood on the edge and let himself fall, screaming his agony all the while until he transformed at the last moment, his cries turning into the shriek of an owl. He flew off, to the woods of the Labyrinth. He needed answers.

Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Dydimus were trudging back to the throne room when they heard the king's cries. The turned all around, and looked up, trying to find the direction the sounds came from. After much debate between Hoggle, and sir Dydimus they decided to go down the right corridor, seemingly towards the cries. As soon as they disappeared behind the doorway to the corridor, they heard running footsteps in the one they had just left. They turned around, and ran slash waddled into the throne room, just in time to hear the King's scream transform.

Jareth flew over the labyrinth, to the fields and woods beyond, racing against his pain. He flew until his wings ached, and he couldn't breathe; only then did he start back towards the labyrinth and the goblin city. He had gone seeking answers, but to questions he wasn't ready to ask.

He perched on top of the fountain in the middle of the city, and transformed. No one was around to watch as he pulled off his necklace, and fitted the medallion into a discreet corner of clothing and turned it. The fountain opened up to a staircase that led down into a stale darkness. Within that darkness lay life. The life and heart of the Labyrinth, now broken.

Jareth's world had never been the same since Sarah had left. The instant she broke his heart, she broke the heart of the Labyrinth as well, the glue that held the Goblin Kingdom together . The kingdom had been slowly crumbling over a year and now there was barely anything left. The only goblins left were the ones that lived in the castle, and Sarah's friends had retreated to the bog of eternal stench; Dydimus's domain. The castle was in a state of sad disrepair, rather than a joyous, chaotic one, and the labyrinth had become overgrown and crumbling.

The moment Sarah was back in the underground, Jareth could feel the kingdom gaining hope, repairing itself. Sarah's nightmares were slowing, but not stopping the process; the labyrinth was healing and Jareth couldn't help but suspect that Sarah was now something more than a mere mortal.

Jareth sat on the ground, staring up at the gargantuan, yet dim glowing, floating mass that was the heart of the Labyrinth. Once blinding, it's light at one time had completely gone out, and though dim, the fact it was glowing now gave Jareth hope. He just wasn't sure why.

"She's still here"

Jareth heard the idea rather than the words in his head.

"You just have to find her"

He realized with a start who or rather what was speaking to him, and why that dim glow gave him hope. It was the voice of the Labyrinth, and it meant Sarah was alive. If just her rejection had put out the Labyrinth's light, her death would have devastating effects. If it was glowing….

"She's Alive!"

Jareth shouted out loud.

"How do I find her? Where is She?"

"Look with your heart. You will see. But you must find her quickly and bring her back. She Needs you Jareth, and without you, She will die. And with her, So will I."

Jareth looked up at the glow, which seemed to get somehow dimmer and brighter at the same time.

"She is still here Jareth, but she is close to Mistress Death. If she claims her, You will never get us back…."

The voice faded from Jareth's head, and He called after it, but to no avail.

His Labyrinth had truly spoken to him. He communicated with it every second of every day, but it had never actually used words before.

"I'm coming Sarah," he said. "I'll find you, and bring you back where you belong. By my side, in the Goblin Kingdom, giving life to me, and my Labyrinth.

Sarah woke to squeezing…

Her lungs ached and she felt dizzy; and she was hearing a strange keening noise. Then she realized it was her, and when she finally figured out what was happening, it was too late.

She looked up through watery eyes, and watched Jareth's face filled with anguish and betrayal as he squeezed the life out of her.

She listened as he whipered

"You aren't my rag doll Sarah… Please don't go… Don't destroy me again…."

And before she could tell him she would never leave

Before she could do anything

Everything went black

She was gone.


End file.
